Monday, January 24, 2011

Battle Royale Blu-ray Limited Edition

A week or so ago my Limited Edition of Battle Royale arrived. It took a month to get to me due to various weather related drama in the UK, but as the saying goes... good things come to those who wait:

The set features all manner of goodies starting with both the theatrical and director's cut of the movie (each cut getting its own Blu-ray). I sat down to watch the theatrical version the other night and I was not disappointed. Arrow have done a fantastic job with this release. I previously owned the 2 Disc Tartan Asia Extreme edition and whilst it wasn't the worst version out there, it certainly left a lot to be desired. The presentation here is still not perfect, but it is certainly the best this film has ever looked on home video!

The set also includes a DVD featuring the bulk of the extra features that were present on previous releases. I have heard some people complaining about the lack of the sequel being included in this set, but I am glad it is not. This film deserves to stand on its own and (aside from the price hike that would have resulted) the sequel would only have dragged it down a notch.

As you can see Arrow have included all manner of goodies in the box, these include:

32-page Comic

36-page Booklet

16-page Booklet- including concept artwork for the limited edition set.

5x7 Postcards of stills from Battle Royale

Fold-out reversible poster of original artwork

I am very pleased with this addition to my collection. I had forgotten how much I truly enjoy this film and this edition is by far the best one to get!